Induction-chamber and oil-eliminator.



No. 677,356. Patentadluly 2, I901.

, J. J. HOPPES.

INDUCTION CHAMBER AND ELIMINATOR.

(Apfiliution 1110a am. e, 1901.

(No'I odal.)

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Numb STATES JOHN J. HOPPES, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

lNDUCTlON-CHAMBER AND OIL-ELIMINATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 677,356, dated July 2,1901.

Application filed March 6, 1901. Serial No. 50,077, (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it nay concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. HOPPES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Induction- Chambers andOil-Eliminators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to feed-water heaters of the open type, in whichthe water passes over plates or trays in contact with steam, and moreparticularly relates to an attachment for producing a positivecirculation in the heater and eliminating oil from exhauststeam. Thisclass of heaters has a steamspace in which the plates or trays arelocated and are further provided with a water-space at the bottom, inwhich a certain amount of heated water is retained. The water on beingheated eXpels air and non-condensable gases, which being of greaterspecific gravity than the heated steam settles in the bottom of theheater and excludes the steam from a large portion of the steam -space,thereby making it partially inoperative. The usual method of overcomingthe difficulty is to pass the exhaust-steam through the heater by havingthe inlet-pipe at one end and the outletpipe at the other end, so as tocause a circulation. This arrangement, with its pipe connections,involves considerable expense and is often impractical for want ofspace; furthermore, the heater being of much greater area incross-section than the exhaust-pipe of the engine it is obvious that bythis arrangement a large portion of the lower part of the heater isnotinfiuenced by the current of the steam, and this is more especiallytrue when the outlet is at the top.

heater, which forms no part of my present invention, being somewhatdiagrammatic in nature.

In constructing my device I employ a cham= her a, preferably, althoughnot essentially, circular in shape. This chamber is provided with twoflanged ports or openings b cin the side thereof, adapted to beconnected with an opening in the feed-water heater d. The port oropening I) is provided with a pipe which extends into and downward inthe chamber a, as shown at b", the mouth of which pipe is over thebell-shaped mouth a of the inlet-pipe 0, I also attach within the feedwater heater at the opening I) the bowl or elbow b which will tend todirect the steam upward, although said elbow b is not neces sary to thesuccessful operation of my device. To the port 0 is attached a pipe 0,which extends inward and upward in the chamber a, having its inner oropen end directly under the exhaust-pipe a also, to this port 0 arecon-' nected the elbow and pipe 0 which extend downward within thefeed-water heater.

I have shown the ports I) and 0 provided with common butterfly-valves;but it is obvious that any other style valve might be used or that thedevice might be operated successfully without such valve, these valvesbeing particularly useful, however, when cleaning the heater, but mayunder certain conditions be desirable to vary the size of the ports.

In operation the exhaust-steam from the engine (the path of which isindicated by the arrows) enters the chamber a through the inlet-pipe a.The impetus of the steam upon its entrance to the chamber a is such thata portionnvill pass through the chamber and escape through the pipe a Aportion will also be caught in the bent pipe I? and conducted to thefeed-water heater cl, where it is deflected upward by the elbow b andcirculates amongthe trays,(represented at d.) Asbefore the heating ofthe Water through their own weight and the pressure or" the hot steamabove them sink to the bottom .of the feedwaterheater, from where theyescape through the pipes c and c, which afford-not only the point ofleast resistance through which said gaseslwould naturally seek toescape,but they stated, the non-condensable gases released by are alsodrawn through said pipes by the action of the steam around and above theend of the pipe 0' in its passage from the pipe a to a which not onlyheats and rarefies the gases, but also creates a draft or suctionthrough said pipes c and 0 the gases escaping with the surplusexhaust-steam through the pipe a hile, as is well known, certain kindsof oil prove a benefit when introduced into the boilers with thefeed-water, cylinder-oil, such as would be contained in theexhaust-steam from the engine, would, to the contrary, prove adetriment. The tendency of the oil and the entrained water is to followthe walls of the inclosing parts, and this tendency is greatly assistedby the sudden expansion of the steam upon entering the chamber a. Tocollect the oil and moisture from the steam before its admission to thefeed-water heater (Z, I place about the inner periphery of the chamber aa flange, forming a gutter c and having'a discharge-pipe e, the top ofwhich extends somewhat above the bottom of the gutter e for the purposeof retaining a certain amount of wa ter in said gutter, since it hasbeen found that the water so held assists in collecting entrained oiland moisture, the surplus oil and water being discharged through saidpipe 6 to the bottom of the chamber a, which is also provided with adischarge-pipe 6 the top of which extends above the bottom of saidchamber a, thus retaining also in the bottom of said chamber an amountof water. It will be seen that the exhaust as it passes out of theexhaust-pipe a is also purified and free from oil, which is a desirablefeature.

It will be seen that the inlet and outlet ports are connected through asingle opening in the head of the heater. This opening may vary with thesize of the heater. For the purpose of making it possible to attachany-sized induction-chamber to the several sizes of the heaters I employan intermediate plate f, the variation in the size of the various heaers and induction-chambers being compensated for in the lap of theintermediate platef.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination with theexhaust-pipe of a steam-engine and a feed-water heater, of a chamber insaid exhaust-pipe having inlet and outlet ports to said heater, thelower side of said inlet being extended and curved to discharge thesteam into the upper portion of said heater, and said outlet beingextended downwardly to exhaust air and gases from the lower portion ofsaid heater, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with the exhaust-pipe of a steam-engine and afeed-water heater, of a chamber in said exhaust-pipe having inlet andoutlet ports to said heater, the inletport for said heater extending insaid chamber and opening downwardly partially over said exhaust-inlet tocarry steam to said heater,

and the outlet-port for said heater extending in said chamber andopening upwardly above said exhaust-inlet and toward the exhaustoutletto exhaust air and gas from said heater, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with the exhaust-pipe of a steam-engine and afeed-water heater, of a chamber in said exhaust-pipe, an upwardly andoutwardly flaring flange from the exhaust-pipe inlet in said chamber,the inlet port for said heater extending at one end in said chamber andopening downwardly over said exhaust-inlet to convey steam to saidheater, the lower side of the other end of said inlet-port beingextended and curved to direct the steam into the upper portion of saidheater, said outlet-port of said heater at one end being extendeddownwardly into said heater and at the other end extended into saidchamber and opening upwardly above said exhaust-inlet and toward theexhaustoutlet to exhaust air and gas from said heater, substantially asspecified.

4. The combination with a feed-water heater and the exhaust-pipe of asteam-engine, of a chamber in said exhaust-pipe, a bell-shapedexhaust-inlet into said chamber, an annular projection extending aroundthe inner walls of said chamber having upturned flanges forming agutter, a pipe in said gutter extending from above the bottom of same tonear the bottom of said chamber, and water retained in the bottom ofsaid chamber, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a feed-waterheater and a chamber having an inletand outlet for p the exhaust from a steam-engine, of an annularprojection extending around the inner walls of said chamber havingupturned flanges forming a gutter, a pipe in said gut ter extending fromabove the bottom of said gutter to near the bottom of said chamber, aninlet-port extending and-opening downwardly partially over saidexhaust-inlet in said chamber at one end and at the other extended so asto discharge upwardly into said heater, an out let-port extendingdownwardly in said heater at one end and at the other inwardly andopening upwardly above exhaust-inlet in the direction of theexhaust-outlet, valves in said inlet and outlet ports to cut off steamfrom said heater and a pipe in the bottom" of said chamber to carry 0%oil and water, substantially as specified.

6. The combination with a feed-waterheater and a chamber having inletand outlet ports to said heater, of an intermediate plate between saidheater and chamber whereby only one opening in said heater is requiredto connect said inlet and outlet ports.

7. The combination with the exhaust-pipe of a steam-engine and afeed-water heater of a chamber-in said exhaust-pipe having inlet andoutlet ports to said heater, the lower side of said inlet being extendedand curved to discharge the steam into the upper portion of said heaterand said outlet being extended at my hand this 28th day of February, A.D,

one end downwardly in said heater and at the 1901.

other end in said chamber to exhaust air and i T gases from the lowerportion of said heater, JOEL HOPPES 5 and valves to control said inletand outlet Witnesses:

ports, substantially as specified. PERCY NORTON,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set CHAS. I. W'ELCH.

